Have Wings, Will Travel
by KaliYugaFan
Summary: When 7-year old Issei Hyoudou, distraught after his best friend Irina moved to England, visits a mysterious video game store, his whole life is re-written, and the Supernatural World is changed immeasurably. Gamer!Issei, Still-perverted-but-not-a-total-loser!Issei, the usual harem shenanigans, and more Power Creep than you can shake a stick at. And also dragons and devils and such.
1. Prologue - The Oppressed Gamer

A/N: Joining the **long **list of people who have done Gamer!Issei fics, hopefully I can do the trope justice! You can expect this to be fairly lighthearted as far as the story goes, I'm slowly training myself to not instinctively tread into grim-dark territory haha. The Gamer system won't be a Sacred Gear or anything like that, he'll still have the trusty Boosted Gear and Ddraig with him every step of the way. Just a little short chapter to start things out, let me know what you think!

* * *

Issei Hyoudou was a perfectly normal, if somewhat innocent, seven year old boy. He loved, in order, his parents, playing in the park, his recently-relocated and totally male best friend Rin, and the thought of being a hero. However, there was one thing that separated the otherwise ordinary boy from his peers. In the wake of his best friend leaving to England seven months prior, the usually quite happy young boy had been extremely distraught. On an average day, he would have left for the local park in his home town of Kuoh, Japan to play with his peers. On this particular day, he would have borne witness to a certain old man who would have opened his eyes to the beauty of the female form. Going to the park on this fateful day would have changed young Issei Hyoudou's whole life, leading him down a road of isolation due to his perversity that would have resulted in his untimely, albeit temporary, death nearly a decade later.

On this particular day, little seven year old Issei Hyoudou did not go to the park. Instead, the young boy sat in his room by himself, the door having been shut the moment he had come home from school. Issei was as lonely as he had ever felt, and it was rather obvious to his parents that something had to be done to get their precious son out of his rut.

Miki Hyoudou was a woman approaching forty years of age, though her ever-present smile and well-kept figure would have certainly hidden that fact well. She and her husband Gorou had tried to have a child twice before Issei, both times having resulted in a heart-breaking miscarriage for the couple. During the third pregnancy, the Hyoudou's had been so tense and scared that Gorou paced in front of a Shinto shrine, praying for the healthy birth of their child. In response to their prayers, Issei Hyoudou had been born healthy and hale in the middle of a thunderous April storm, named in honor of the honesty of Gorou's prayers to the Gods of Takamagahara.

On this particular day, Miki Hyoudou was not smiling, and she certainly felt every one of her thirty-some years. Her baby was clearly depressed, and nothing could possibly stop the stubborn mother from attempting to fix it. Gorou was still at his job, having worked at the same accounting firm since she had met the man. He made a comfortable living, and provided everything that the small family of three could ever want, but sometimes Miki wished he could take a step back from his corporate life and spend more time with their son.

Hearing his mother's gentle knocking at the door, Issei sat up, taking his head out of his hands. "Can I come in, sweetie?" His mother was clearly concerned for him, and for a moment Issei felt a stab of regret; his sadness was no reason to upset his darling mother. Instead of answering, the young boy stood from his bed, walking across the room to open his door and flinging himself at Miki in as powerful a hug as his little seven year old arms could manage.

Though he was too buried in her arms to see it, Miki smiled radiantly, silently stroking her son's hair as she waddled with him still attached to her chest back to their bed. Taking a seat, she stared at her young son, conveying as much love and trust as she possibly could without speaking. Issei picked up on the message, snuggling back into her arms as he began to cry.

"It'll be alright, sweetie. I know you're upset that Irina left, but I promise you it'll be okay." She whispered softly to him, still holding onto Issei. The young boy mumbled something into her chest that she couldn't quite hear, so she gently pushed him away, looking at him expectantly.

"It hurts, mom." Oh, her sweet, innocent child. Miki framed his face in her hands, pulling him back in and planting a loving kiss on his forehead. "I know it hurts, Issei. Seeing our friends go always hurts, but one day you and Irina will be all grown up, and I'm sure you can see each other again, okay?" Her tone was as gentle as always, calming down the despondent young boy in her arms.

"I know what we can do to cheer you up, sweetie. Go put on your jacket and your shoes, let's go to the mall." At this, Issei perked up slightly, wiping away some of the snot and tears with an errant swipe of his long-sleeved shirt that had Miki groaning in exasperation. At a pace that beggared belief, the young boy swept around his room like a whirlwind, picking out a red rain-jacket to throw over his black tee shirt and putting on the same pair of well-worn Adidas sneakers that had seen so much action in the local park.

"I'm ready, mom!" He nearly shouted, having gone from sobbing to fully dressed in under a minute, as most children are wont to do. Miki simply chuckled, fixing her son's slightly askew collar and zipping up his jacket all the way. The two walked out of the young boy's room as Miki grabbed her keys. Entering the attached garage next to their home, Miki and Issei got into the family's trusty Toyota, and after a moment to check the gas, the two were off to the Kuoh Mall.

The mall was rather vacant for a Friday afternoon, with only a few dozen people loitering around and perusing the various shops. The mother and son moved at a brisk pace, Issei's much-shorter legs pumping furiously as they made their way to their destination.

It was a local game store, tucked away between a McRonald's and a furniture store. There were other stores in Kuoh, many belonging to larger brands, but for as long as Issei could remember, something simply felt **right **about going to this particular video game store. The bell rang as they opened the door, and an incredibly tall man greeted them at the polished wooden counter. He wore a comfortable set of dark brown slacks, as well as a slightly wrinkled white dress shirt and matching brown vest. His hair was of a medium length, an untamed mane of dark brown hair with a golden fringe of bangs. The man was smiling kindly, greeting the two as they walked in.

"Welcome to Scapegoat Games, what can I get for you two?"

* * *

A/N: Like I said, just a little teaser to start off the story! Will be switching between this story and Asmodeus, An Astounding Ardor so expect approximately 5k words per week for each story, at least until I run out of steam or something lmao.

Next Chapter: Time-skip five years! Issei enters middle school! Issei develops Gamer Powers! Issei meets a grumpy dragon!


	2. Gamer(s) Rise Up!

A/N: Yeah, not too much to say here, this is where the "plot" starts, I guess.

* * *

**2003**

"Your friends are here, sweetie!" Miki Hyoudou called out from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner for the Hyoudou household. Issei, having clearly heard his mother, raced down the stairs in a whirlwind, rapidly pulling a sweater over his lean frame to ward off the autumn chill. It was still September in Kuoh, but already the winter winds could be felt rolling into town, and within a few months Issei was positive that his home would be blanketed in white. His mother simply smiled fondly at him, pulling him aside as he lunged to the door to plant a loving kiss on his forehead. "Gah, mom, I'm 12! Stop it!" The pre-teen whined, trying in vain to pull himself free from Miki. "You can be 12 or a hundred years old but you're still going to be my baby boy, mister!" She chided playfully, handing Issei a small sandwich as she finally let him out the door. "And don't be too late out with your friends, sweetie! Back before dark, okay?" Issei turned back, the sandwich already half gone, crumbs adorning his mouth. "Got it!" He managed to affirm with a mouth full of bread, somehow.

Standing a short distance outside the door of the Hyoudou residence were Issei's two best friends at Kuoh Middle School, Matsuda and Motohama. The three had met in elementary when they were all eight years old, and since then had become as thick as thieves, much to the dismay of Kuoh's adult populace. Matsuda was slightly taller than the other two, clad in a well-fitting Adidas tracksuit and a running cap over his perpetually-shaved head. At his side, he had a tightly cinched backpack, full of water bottles and nutritious snacks. The bald teen was a rising star in track and field, having already broken a number of sprinting records in the middle school division. Motohama was the shortest of the trio, dressed in a white polo, dark slacks and the same glasses that Issei was fully convinced he had been born wearing. He was the smartest of the group, having already tested his way into acceptance at some of the nearby private academies in Japan.

The two quickly made their way to Issei, meeting him in the middle as the group quickly went off at a brisk pace to the Mall. Normally, it would have taken a solid hour of walking to reach the Kuoh Plaza where the trio always hung out, but Matsuda's slavish devotion to his sport had worn off (in part) to the other two, and the group were able to make their way to the shopping center in nearly half that time. Motohama and Issei paused, hunched over with their hands on their knees as they took in as much air as possible. Matsuda, for his part, was seemingly unaffected, still standing straight as he took a long drink from his water bottle. "You two gotta keep up! I almost had to slow down to a jog a few times there, guys!" He whined, dutifully ignoring the looks of absolute loathing his two best friends were giving off.

"Huff.. See who's slow when I... huff... jam my sneakers up your... huff... ass." Issei rasped, his death threat clearly not as effective given his current total lack of breath. Matsuda simply chuckled, tossing another water bottle and two small towels from his backpack to Issei and Motohama, who took the towels gratefully and gulped down the bottle in a few seconds. Once the less athletically freakish pair were sufficiently rested, the three took off, stuffing the towels back into Matsuda's backpack as they made their way to the spot they had been meeting after school for years.

Scapegoat Games had changed drastically in the five years since Issei had first gone to the store with his mother. The hardwood floor and well-worn counter-top had been replaced with stylish carpeting and a large counter-top of stone with various stools. All across the store, Issei could see massive TV screens, hooked up to the latest video game consoles. There were sets of comfortable couches in front of each TV, and though it was a Wednesday, already Issei could see a dozen or so of his peers crowded around one console or another, playing video games. Where there wasn't a TV or furniture, Scapegoat Games had large display cabinets, featuring the newest games and gaming devices on the market for sale.

As always, the owner greeted the trio once they had made their way into the store, dressed in the same exact pair of slacks, white dress shirt and vest as always. His mane of brown hair was as untamed as it had been the first day Issei had seen him, and he had the same sardonic grin as always. "Welcome, come on in boys! Always a pleasure to see my favorite customers, what can I get you three today?" He asked, a flourish of his long arms towards the gargantuan display cabinets accompanying his short speech. Issei had been coming to Scapegoat Games almost religiously since the day his mother had taken him there all those years ago, and approximately two years prior he had introduced his two best friends to the shop. Oddly enough, the two of them swore that they had never noticed this particular store in the Kuoh Plaza before, but Issei put that to the back of his mind as the trio engaged in their favorite pastime: gaming.

Matsuda, predictably, went for the same game he had been playing every day for the past year. Loading up Dance Dance Revolution Extreme into the nearby Playstation 2, within seconds the bald teen was tapping his feet rapidly. When the game had first come out nearly a year prior, Motohama and Issei had made fun of the runner for his choice in games, but Matsuda swore by it, stating quite smartly that it helped him train his reflexes and endurance. After a disastrous competition between the three had resulted in Matsuda wiping the floor with his best friends, Issei and Motohama had never complained or made fun of DDR again.

Today, however, Issei was getting rather bored. Matsuda was still playing DDR nearly four hours later, and Motohama was glued to his Gameboy, going through Pokemon Sapphire for the umpteenth time. The other children had long since left, leaving only the trio, and the mysterious owner in the back. A moment later, he left too, citing a mix-up in the store-room as the reason for his temporary departure from the store counter. Now, Issei was certainly a bright and quick-witted young boy, but patience has never been the virtue of the young; to put it simply Issei badly needed something to do.

Looking over the assorted games on the shelves, Issei could feel himself being drawn to one in particular. It was a rather plain cover, a simple black background with a strange looking symbol of a sleeping dragon. The title wasn't much better, simply 'Dragons of Dreams.' Nonetheless, Issei felt a strange pull in his gut, urging him to play the game. The pre-teen opened the cover carefully, peering at the strange cartridge-like device within. It certainly wasn't a Gameboy cartridge, or anything Issei had ever seen before. In fact, it felt strangely heavy, as if it was made of stone or metal as opposed to plastic. The moment Issei made contact with the cartridge, his whole world changed.

**[Congratulations! Welcome to the Tutorial. Please click next.]**

What in the world? Issei was bewildered, staring at the floating screen in front of him. For a moment, he thought that perhaps his mother had used moldy bread by accident, but an errant brush against the very much solid wall of text disabused him of that notion. What the hell was going on? After a moment of hesitation, and a quick glance to see that Matsuda and Motohama were still entranced in their respective games, Issei gingerly tapped against the underlined Next button.

**[Issei Hyoudou - Middle School Student - Level 1]**

That... that was him! And at a rather measly level one? Issei had been engrossed in video games ever since that fateful day that Miki had taken him to Scapegoat Games, so the young boy knew quite clearly that being a level one was certainly nothing to brag about. Crossing his fingers and hoping that this wasn't some insane delusion, Issei whispered out, "Character Screen... Uh, stats... Status?"

**[Loading Status Screen, please be patient...]**

**[Loading...]**

**[Status Screen Loaded!]**

What greeted Issei was an insultingly accurate screen of the same blue. Checking again to see that somehow, his two best friends were still totally ignorant of the situation, Issei scanned over his stats, taking in everything as best as the pre-teen could.

**[Status Screen:]**

**[Name - Issei Hyoudou]**

**[Level - 1 (0/250 XP)]**

**[Occupation - The Gamer]**

**[Title - Middle School Student: 10% gains towards Academics and Physical Activity below Level 9]**

**[Specialization: N/A]**

**[Health Points:125 (Vit*25)]**

**[Health Point Regeneration: 10 HP/M (Vit*2)]**

**[Magic Points: 75 (Int*25)]**

**[Magic Point Regeneration: 6 HP/M (Int*2)]**

**[Stats]**

**[Strength: 4]**

**[Vitality: 4+1]**

**[Dexterity: 3+1]**

**[Intelligence: 2+1]**

**[Wisdom: 3]**

**[Luck: 4+2]**

**[Perks:]**

**[?: Currently Locked]**

**[Novice Runner: Additional +1 to Dexterity and Vitality per Level]**

**[Minor Shinto Blessing: Additional +1 to Luck per Level]**

**[Growing Young Boy: Additional +3 to Strength, Vitality, and Dexterity per Birthday]**

**[Blessing of the Scapegoat: Additional +1 to Luck and Intelligence per Level]**

**[Status Effects:]**

**[None]**

**[Description:]**

**[Issei Hyoudou is a perfectly ordinary 12-year old boy. Born to Miki and Gorou Hyoudou in the middle of a powerful April thunderstorm, he was the third attempt to have a child by the young couple. The Shinto Gods heard their prayers and blessed the Hyoudou family with baby Issei. He is currently a middle school student at Kuoh Middle School, along with his two best friends Matsuda and Motohama. He is the wielder of ? and the current Gamer.]**

**[Money: 2600 Yen]**

**[Points: 0]**

Issei's mouth was agape as he stared at the status window. Before he could truly begin to freak out, or God forbid alert his two friends, he could feel a wave of unnatural calm washing through him, leaving him rational and thinking logically. "Okay, what just happened?"

**[Would you like to view the Help Guide?]**

**[Yes/No]**

Well, it couldn't possibly get any weirder than this, right? Issei tapped the Yes button softly, watching as the screen washed away yet again, to be replaced by a formidable wall of text.

**[Loading Skills...]**

**[Loading...]**

**[Skills Loaded!]**

**[Skills:]**

**[Passive Skills:]**

**[Gamer's Mind - Level Max: Allows the user to calmly and rationally think things through. Allows a peaceful state of mind. Grants user an immunity to mind-altering Magic, psychoactive substances and psychological ailments. User can still be affected by mind-altering Magic if used by an opponent 20 levels or more above the user.]**

**[Gamer's Body - Level Max: Grants a body that allows the user to live real life like the world of a video game. HP and MP are fully restored after sleeping in an owned or rented bed, restored 75% if sleeping in a tent or other makeshift sleeping space, and 50% if sleeping outdoors with some protection from the elements.]**

**[Passive/Active Skills:]**

**[Beginner Martial Arts - Level 3: A basic martial arts form that teaches one how to punch and kick properly.]-**

**\- [Grants +3 Strength and Vitality during active combat.]**

**[Beginner Sprinter - Level 3: A basic running form that teaches one how to make use of their legs properly for short sprints.]**

**\- [Grants a +3 Dexterity and Vitality during active combat.]**

**[Active Skills:]**

**[Observe - Level 1: A skill that allows the user to gain information on people, animals, and objects. At higher levels, more information is revealed. Costs 5MP per use.]**

**[ID Create - Level 1: Allows for the creation of Instant Dungeons.]**

**\- [ID Create - Null - Level 1: Allows for the creation of a null space.]**

**\- [ID Create - Zombies - Level 1: Allows for the creation of the Zombies Dungeon. Suggested Level: 1-10]**

**[ID Escape - Level 1: Allows the user to leave an Instant Dungeon and return to the real world.]**

**[Beginner Academics - Level 3: Allows for the learning of material in a school setting.]**

**[Beginner Cooking - Level 2: Allows for the cooking of basic recipes that can replenish HP/MP and offer temporary stat boosts.]**

"This," Issei rasped out, his mouth suddenly dry in spite of the rational Gamer's Mind preventing from having a full-blown breakdown. "Is so cool." Where did this power come from? And what was with the question marks? Issei wanted to know more, but who could he possibly ask? Matsuda and Motohama hadn't noticed anything, and now that Issei looked more intently at them, he could see that they were frozen absolutely still, as if the world had paused all around him.

[That would be correct, User. Resuming real world in 3... 2... 1...]

[Real World Resumed!]

All of a sudden, the world had come back to meet Issei, and all the young boy could do was take a sharp intake of breath and stare, wide-eyed, at his two best friends. Were they in on this too? Only one way to find out. Softly, Issei whispered, "Observe."

**[Name - Matsuda]**

**[Level - 1 (0/250 XP)]**

**[Occupation - N/A]**

**[Title - Middle School Student: 10% gains towards Academics and Physical Activity below Level 9]**

**[Specialization: N/A]**

**[Health Points: 150 (Vit*25)]**

**[Health Point Regeneration: 12 HP/M (Vit*2)]**

**[Magic Points: 50 (Int*25)]**

**[Magic Point Regeneration: 4 HP/M (Int*2)]**

**[Name - Motohama]**

**[Level - 1 (0/250 XP)]**

**[Occupation - N/A]**

**[Title - Middle School Student: 10% gains towards Academics and Physical Activity below Level 9]**

**[Specialization: N/A]**

**[Health Points:100 (Vit*25)]**

**[Health Point Regeneration: 8 HP/M (Vit*2)]**

**[Magic Points: 125 (Int*25)]**

**[Magic Point Regeneration: 10 HP/M (Int*2)]**

That... made sense, Issei supposed. Matsuda was clearly more physically fit than either him or Motohama, and nobody could deny that Motohama was very bright. It would be pretty reasonable that they would have higher physical and magical stats, respectively.

**[For thinking things through in a rational manner, your Wisdom has gone up by 1!]**

Alright, so that was a thing. Very cool. Trying his best to not look foolish, Issei did his best to think the words 'Attributes,' hoping that it would bring up a more detailed explanation of what exactly his stats meant.

**[Your attributes determine your strengths and weaknesses. The most common way for your attributes to increase is to gain more levels. Doing this increases all attributes by two points, but training or performing specific tasks will also increase specific attributes. For example, physical conditioning could be used to increase your Strength, Vitality or Dexterity depending on what the workout is. Currently, there are two categories of training: Physical Training, which can increase STR, VIT, or DEX, and Mental Training, which can increase INT, WIS, and LUC.]**

"Alright, that makes sense," Issei mused. "But what do these attributes do in particular?"

**[Attributes:]**

**[Strength - The Strength attribute affects the user's overall physical power. This attribute reflects the amount of damage can inflict on an opponent with Martial Arts or via Weapons. It also affects the user's ability to shrug off physical damage when blocking and their ability to lift or throw heavy objects.]**

**[Vitality - The Vitality attribute affects the user's overall amount of health, with the formula being VIT*25 for total points and VIT*2 for Health Regeneration rate. Vitality also affects the user's ability to defend against long-term harmful effects such as poisons.]**

**[Dexterity - The Dexterity attribute affects the user's speed and nimbleness, both in and out of combat. It can affect the user's accuracy, evasiveness, and ability to land critical strikes in short, medium, and long range combat. It also affects non-combat skills such as pick-pocketing, stealth, and the ability to dual wield weapons or wield unorthodox weapons.]**

**[Intelligence - The Intelligence attribute affects the user's overall amount of magic, with the formula being INT*25 for total points and INT*2 for Magic Regeneration rate. Intelligence also affects the user's ability to think quickly and innovate, allowing for usage of various forms of magic or non-combat skills, and eventually the combination of distinct skills.]**

**[Wisdom - The Wisdom attribute affects the user's common sense, perception, and overall control of their various non-physical powers. It can affect their ability to learn, memorize and retain information. It also plays a role in learning certain skills such as Illusion Magic and Healing Magic. For every 20 points in WIS, experience points gained will increase by 5%.]**

**[Luck - The Luck attribute determines the user's overall chance. Luck is unique compared to the other stats, as it can affect a wide variety of real world phenomenon, including rare loot, critical strikes, or chance encounters.]**

"Well, that's interesting," Issei muttered, glancing over the screen carefully. He had played enough games in his short lifetime to know that gaining experience usually came about via battle and mastering skills. Before he could do anything, Issei felt himself fall bodily through the floor as if he was intangible, sent spiraling into an abyss of sheer darkness. "What the hell is it now?!" The young boy shouted, caught in a zero gravity environment, simply floating in a sea of endless black.

**[Foreign Presence Detected. Scanning for Foreign Presences...]**

**[Scanning...]**

**[Foreign Presence Found! Would you like to integrate the Foreign Presence?]**

**[Yes/No]**

Not seeing any other option, Issei tapped the Yes button with as much surliness as his adorable 12 year old body could muster. As he did so, he could feel an absolutely massive presence creeping behind him, an otherworldly aura of sheer power and strength that sent the young boy crashing to his knees. Issei craned his neck to the side, turning fully after a moment to take in the sight of an enormous scaly face, with one giant green eye staring deeply at him.

**[Foreign Presence Integrated: Sacred Gear System Unlocked!]**

**[Sacred Gear: Boosted Gear - Longinus Class Added!]**

**[Updating System...]**

**[Updating...]**

**[System Updated!]**

What the **fuck?!**

* * *

A/N: And that's that! Next chapter: Issei has a conversation with the Big Grumpy Dragon! Issei goes Dungeon-crawling! The Gamer Trio is Born!

Next chapter hopefully will be up tomorrow or Sunday, but no promises! As always, please read and review! Who would you like to see in the harem? What kind of powers would you like Issei to have? What level do you think the Gremory Gang should be by the time canon starts? I want Issei to be pushing Mid-class and into lower-tier High-Class by the time the Trio enter their second year of high school. And yes, Matsuda and Motohama are going to have more of a role in this story. Though all three of them **are** perverts, their different experiences as a result of Issei being an absolute gaming fanatic instead of a titty connoisseur will lead them to being a lot less overt and a lot more immediately competent. The most obvious example is that Matsuda is going to stick with track and become incredibly gifted in that department (for a human) and Motohama will be intelligent enough to make a solid Human Magician. Still not sure if I want to give them low-tier Sacred Gears courtesy of Azazel later on in the story or not, let me know what you think!

Kali, logging out for now!


	3. A Dragon and A Crow

A/N: The Conversation With The Dragon, and a "conversation" with a certain blonde Crow

* * *

Issei stared, his mouth agape, at the fiendish vision before him. A scaly monstrosity housing two enormous emerald eyes stared back at him, smoke softly billowing out of nostrils the size of the young boy's head. The ridges above the creature's eyes were as thick as Issei's torso, and the curved, serpentine snout only scant feet away from him looked to be filled with teeth that could tear apart a dozen men with ease. Shakily, Issei managed to stammer out, "O-observe?"

**[Name - Ddraig y Goch]**  
**[Level - 275 (Sealed)]**  
**[Occupation - Sacred Gear Occupant - Boosted Gear]**  
**[Title - Heavenly Dragon of Domination: Additional STR*100 per physical attack, additional INT*100 per magical attack]**  
**[Specialization: Mid-Range]**  
**[Health Points: EX]**  
**[Health Point Regeneration: EX HP/M]**  
**[Magic Points: EX]**  
**[Magic Point Regeneration: EX HP/M]**

This... this was insane! He couldn't even see the beast's Health or Magic! How on Earth was Issei expected to face this creature?

"So... You're my new container, then? You don't look like much." The beast rumbled, its voice like a thunderous boom. Didn't look like much? He was 12 for crying out loud! But... what was this about a container?

"I'm a what?" Issei asked, staring owlishly at the giant head. Said head simply huffed and rumbled a bit more, before retracting, its long neck pulling back as the Heavenly Dragon adjusted its position. Coiling an impossibly long tail around Issei completely, Ddraig y Goch hefted the boy into the air with incredible ease, bringing him at least fifteen or twenty feet into the air and face-to-face with the Dragon yet again.

"You, boy, are the wielder of the Boosted Gear, the Longinus-class Sacred Gear. I am Ddraig y Goch, the Heavenly Red Dragon of Domination!" The dragon roared out, sending a wave of hot air that blew back Issei's spiky brown locks and coated him in a fine mist of dragon spit. Grimacing a little, the young boy writhed and wriggled, trying to work his way out of the loose but steady grip of Ddraig's tail. After a few seconds, he gave up, his 12 year old body clearly not up to the herculean task.

"What's a Sacred Gear? What's a Longy-nus? What's the Boosted Gear?" Issei rattled off rapid-fire, acknowledging that for the time being, he wouldn't be going anywhere. Ddraig looked almost amused at his struggling, slowly setting him back down on the ground. The dragon took another deep breath.

"In order, boy, a Sacred Gear is a tool bestowed upon you humans by the God of the Bible to protect yourself from other Supernatural threats. A Longinus, not longy-nus, is a particular type of Sacred Ge-"

"Supernatural? Like monsters? Oh my God, am I like a Power Ranger now?!" Issei practically squealed, looking at Ddraig with something akin to pure bliss. The dragon simply let out a long-suffering sigh, before speaking again.

"Don't interrupt me, boy." At this, Issei quieted down tremendously quickly, looking straight down at the ground in fear. "As I was saying... A Longinus is the strongest class of Sacred Gears. The Boosted Gear is the Longinus that I have been trapped in for the last several thousand years. Therefore, you are now the wielder of my power."

Issei was still obviously quite lost, understanding perhaps every fifth word in the dragon's rather short speech. "So are you part of the Game?" He finally asked, having exhausted all of his other ideas quickly. Ddraig stared at him perplexedly, tilting his head to the side in questioning. What sort of host was this? "You know, the Game thingie that I'm in now. Your stats and everything are above your head, y'know."

"Are you mentally ill, boy? Are you seeing things?" Issei clearly did not take well to that, harrumphing and turning away as he pouted the way only a 12 year old can. "Stupid game, stupid dragon, stupid Sacred Gear..." He muttered, before getting a great idea. All of the RPG's he loved to play allowed for the player to add members to their party when they faced a powerful foe! What if he could do that?"

"Hey Ddraig..." Issei started. "Would you like to **join my party**?" At this, Ddraig y Goch's eyes widened, finally seeing the thin blue words appearing in thin air before him. Tapping it gently with his snout, Ddraig acquiesced.

**[Error! Sacred Gear cannot be added to Party!]**

**[Updating System...]**

**[Updating...]**

**[System Updated! Sacred Gear Party Integration is now complete!]**

All of a sudden, Ddraig could see everything, having been fully involved in the Game's system. "How interesting..." The massive dragon drawled out, humming as he quickly scrolled through all of his own information. "How interesting indeed. Well, boy, it seems like you're not quite as boring as I thought you would be. We'll speak again soon, of that you can be sure."

With that rather abrupt ending to their conversation, Issei suddenly found himself falling through the inky black abyss yet again, coming back to his senses in the Game Store in an instant. Matsuda and Motohama were still playing their respective games, and a quick glance at the clock told Issei that not a moment of time had truly passed since he had opened the game, had the world frozen and then started again, and spoke with his Sacred Gear. What a strange device this Game was!

"Hey guys!" Issei barked out, catching his two best friends' attention rather effectively. "I, uh, I've got something really cool to show you!" Matsuda and Motohama were clearly interested, quickly packing away their games and tidying up the spaces where they had been playing.

"What is it, Issei?" Matsuda said, hefting his now mostly-empty backpack onto his shoulders. Motohama simply slipped his Gameboy back into his pants pocket, looking expectantly at Issei as well. For a moment, Issei squirmed, suddenly unsure if he was really able to do this. They were his best friends in the whole world, of course he had to let them know about this! He didn't expect it to be this hard though, as if suddenly his mouth was bone dry and his tongue was leaden.

"It's uh... It's a secret! But it's really cool, I promise! I just need to uh... I have to show it to you outside. We'll walk to the park, and I'll show you there, okay guys?" He said, the two nodding in acceptance, though still looking at him queerly. Just as the trio were done packing and ready to head out, the store owner walked back from the storage room, making his way to them with long strides that none of the preteens could have hoped to match.

He was dressed the same way Issei had always seen him dress; the same brown slacks, white shirt and vest, the same wild brown mane and the same golden fringe of bangs. What seemed different this time around was his attitude. Though there was no physical change and he had the same pleasant, if slightly sardonic, smile on his face as usual, Issei could see the tenseness in his eyes, the way his thin, lanky frame suddenly seemed so much bigger. It was as if his presence had multiplied exponentially in size, and for a moment Issei felt nothing but paralyzing fear.

"Ah, hello boys. I couldn't help but notice a rather peculiar shift in the air a moment ago. So... which one of you is it? The Sacred Gear wielder, that is."

Issei's eyes widened, his body taking a position in front of his two friends without him even noticing. Softly, he murmured, "Observe."

**[Name - Azazel]**  
**[Level - 165]**  
**[Occupation - Leader of the Grigori Faction]**  
**[Title - Twelve-Winged Fallen Angel: 150% Light Damage against all Devils regardless of Class]**

**[Title - War Engineer: Additional 10% damage when using inventions of user's own creation]**

**[Title - Scapegoat of God: ?]**  
**[Specialization: Long-Range/Inventor]**  
**[Health Points: EX]**  
**[Health Point Regeneration: EX HP/M]**  
**[Magic Points: EX]**  
**[Magic Point Regeneration: EX HP/M]**

What in the world? Issei's heart fell to the pit of his stomach, his body shaking slightly as his eyes widened. "Twelve-winged... what the hell..." He rasped out, his throat completely dry. Azazel turned slightly to face Issei fully, grinning a shark's grin. "Ah, so it would be you. Pleasure to meet you, young man. My name is Azazel."

"Issei Hyoudou, sir." The boy managed to croak out, barely able to contain the tremors of fear as he took in the incredibly high level that Azazel possessed. The Grigori leader's eyebrows rose slightly at that, before a much friendlier grin overtook his face. "So, which one is it, Issei? I'm sure it must be rather powerful for me to have felt it all the way over in the other room on your first awakening, no?"

Should he tell him? Issei wasn't quite sure, but he knew for a fact that he couldn't possibly survive against this man. Better to comply for now. "Ah, it's called the Boosted Gear, Mr. Azazel, but I don't really know what it does. I don't know what any of this is..." Azazel stared curiously at the young boy, mulling over his words in his head. "You say you don't know what's going on, and yet the first words I hear from my favorite customer are a comment on my wings. I don't exactly go around shopping for shirts with twelve holes in the back, so I must admit I'm a bit confused as to how you would know that, Issei."

Issei realized that he had no way out of the situation; it was a foolish move to comment audibly on Azazel's status and now it was too late to make something up. Again, it seemed like honesty was the only shot. "I, uh, well Mr. Azazel, it's kind of hard to explain, but, uh, would you like to, um, **join my party**?"

* * *

A/N: Little baby chapter today since I'm pretty sick, and another one of comparable length tomorrow. Honestly, not my best work, but I'll do my best to have the second part of this chapter be extra action-packed! As always, please read and review.


	4. Zombies, Dragons, and Leather Outfits

A/N: Fellas, again I'm sorry about how short the previous chapter was! Hopefully the back-to-back updates make it worth it.

* * *

Azazel simply stared at the thin blue screen of light in front of him, all playfulness gone from his demeanor. Once Issei had made his desperate play, the Fallen had been deadly serious, peering intently at the information housed within. For a few moments, Issei simply couldn't breathe, caught up in the anticipation. Would the clearly vastly powerful Fallen Angel believe him? Or was he doomed from the start? Already, Issei's rather immature 12 year old mind was considering all the horrific possibilities; would Azazel abduct him and run experiments on him? Would he be smited? After a few seconds of increasingly terse silence, the lanky man simply sighed softly, pressing the faintly pulsing Yes button.

**[Azazel has been added to your Party!]**

**[Azazel now has access to Stats!]**

**[Azazel now has access to Instant Messaging!]**

Azazel seemed rather unfazed outwardly, simply scrolling through the few screens he now had access to with lazy flicks of his index finger. As he would come upon a rather interesting tidbit or an amusing title, he would hum appreciatively, but beyond that it was still dead silent in the suddenly far-too-cramped game store. Issei could hardly contain himself from letting out a massive sigh of relief. It looked like the older man was interested in the information being shown to him, which meant that the young boy **probably **wouldn't be dying at his hand anytime soon.

The tall Fallen looked over at the three frozen schoolchildren, chuckling quietly to himself. "You kids can calm down. It's the real deal, as snide and short as the descriptions may be. You found this in my store, Issei? I haven't felt anything coming from you until just now, so I'm assuming something triggered this change. Could you please point it out to me?" He asked, not unkindly.

Issei simply nodded, pointing one still trembling finger at the open case and the strange cartridge within. Azazel made his way over to the corner of the room Issei had previously occupied when the change had occurred with long strides. As he bent over and picked up the package, Issei could feel some measure of movement return to his body, still frozen in fear. Azazel still looked like the harmless, if eccentric, shop-owner he had always been to Issei, but now that he had the Game, he could immediately tell it was an act, an illusion to those unaware of the greater world. This man was unfathomably old, not to mention deadly. At any moment, he could wipe out the three of them with ease; it would do best for Issei to tread wisely from now on.

Azazel held the open cartridge between his index finger and thumb, idly turning over the stone-like cartridge in the other hand. For a moment, he brought the cartridge close to his face, taking a short sniff. "Great Red... what the hell is this doing here?" He muttered, though almost too quietly for Issei to hear. For a few seconds, the Fallen was stock still, clearly mulling over the possibilities in his head, before he gently put the cartridge back inside the packaging of the game's box. With a lazy twirl of his fingers, Azazel simply pulled, and Issei saw real magic for the first time in his life.

Before his very eyes, a small tear in the world appeared. It was jagged and rough, as if he had clawed open the fabric of the universe itself. Taking one last long look at the box, Azazel hummed in thought, before casually tossing it into the rift in space-time, which closed with a following twirl of his fingers. Azazel looked at the very confused trio, currently looking at him like he was some sort of alien. "Just a little teleportation circle, kids. Nothing fancy, just imagine I've got a **really fast **mailman. That case is obviously not a normal video-game, as I'm sure you would expect by now. It is also, most certainly not the Boosted Gear." He explained, crouching down into a squat so he was no longer towering over the much shorter children. Bringing his hand down in a comforting pat on Issei's shoulder, he looked kindly at the young boy. "Now, Issei, I'm sure you're very confused and you surely have a lot of questions. I promise you I will do my best to answer them. But first, can you call on the Boosted Gear?"

Issei looked, wide-eyed, at the statuesque man that had come down to his level, finally face-to-face. "I, uh, I don't really know how to do that, Mr. Azazel." He admitted, looking down at his feet shamefully. Azazel kept his friendly smile, patting the young boy on the shoulder once again.

"That's totally okay, Issei. It's nothing to be ashamed of, you're very new to this after all. What I want you to do is to step back, and think of something that you know is very strong. Do you like Godzilla?" At this, Issei shook his head. "Ah, alright, not a Kaiju fan I see. What do you like, Issei? Do you like superheroes?"

Issei nodded at this, pointing a thumb towards himself rather adorably. "I love Drag-So Ball!"

Azazel let loose a real laugh at this, shaking slightly in mirth. "That's wonderful, Issei. Alright, imagine your favorite character from this, uh... Drag-So Ball. They're pretty strong, right?" Issei nodded furiously. Goku was the strongest! Again, Azazel's smile widened at the boy's childlike innocence; of course he **was **a child, so it was to be expected. "Alright, Issei. Think about how strong they are. Think about how much you want to be as strong as them, okay? You have to feel it, **really **feel it. You want to be as strong as them more badly than anything you've ever wanted."

As Azazel backed away, Issei was deep in thought. Being as strong as Goku? That would be incredible! Thinking furiously, Issei tried his best to bring up everything he knew about the protagonist of the show, from the way he protected the Earth, to the powerful companions he surrounded himself with (dutifully ignoring the useless ones, as was proper) and the powerful fighting style he possessed. Without fully realizing it, the young boy had taken the famous stance of his favorite character's signature attack, pushing forward with both arms in a textbook perfect Kamehama.

As Issei thrust his arms and let loose a surprisingly powerful (for a 12 year old) war-cry, the entire room could feel a shift in his presence. Slowly but surely, a thick red gauntlet of armor appeared over Issei's left arm, plates of crimson overlapping up to the young boy's elbow. His fingers were tipped with wickedly sharp claws, and a pulsing green gem occupied the space above the back of his hand.

**[Dragon Booster!]**

**[Sacred Gear: Boosted Gear Activated!]**

Azazel stared imperceptibly at Issei's form, scanning over the gauntlet with experienced eyes. After a moment, he nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Alright, Issei. Very good job, that's certainly the real deal after all." Turning to the other two, Azazel could see that they were completely flabbergasted, still terrified and confused by the events of the evening. That was certainly something he could fix. "Well, boys, I promised you answers and I, no matter what my Father says otherwise, am a man of my word. Please come with me." With that, the Fallen spun on his heel, locking the front door to the shop and heading to the storage room. After a moment of indecision, the three preteens followed after him.

"Alright, children. I know Issei now, but not the other two. Again, I am Azazel. And you two are?" He asked.

"Ah, I'm Matsuda, and this is Motohama," Matsuda helpfully supplied. Azazel nodded kindly at the introduction, extending his hand for the two boys to shake.

"Lovely to meet you three, Matsuda, Motohama, Issei. You two seem like ordinary humans; I can't detect the presence of Sacred Gears or any Magic around you." At this, the two boys looked rather despondent, clearly upset about not being involved in the crazy world Issei had just stumbled into. "Ah, but that isn't permanent, boys. Tell me, would you two like to learn magic?"

Though nobody knew it at the time, this was the beginning of their adventures.

**-Eleven Months Later-**

"Mr. Azazel, we've been exercising for three hours! Can't I take a break yet?" Issei whined, his whole body drenched in sweat. His two companions weren't much better, Motohama gasping for breath like a dying man and Matsuda doing only slightly better. The three of them were off in the Tamba Highlands, a mountainous region just north of Kyoto, having taken a long weekend to come out and train. It was rather ordinary for the three at this point, the past year having been spent training both physically and magically every chance they could get under the watchful eye of Azazel. Said watchful eye was clearly having a laugh at their expense, the tall form of the Fallen not even bothering to hide his chuckling.

"No resting quite yet, Issei. Ask again in an hour, or when one of your friends drops." His reply was short and certainly sounded curt, but Issei had been around the mysterious Fallen Angel long enough to know he was enjoying their suffering immensely. Of course, the results of said suffering certainly couldn't be argued against.

**[Status Screen:]**

**[Name - Issei Hyoudou]**

**[Level - 5 (150/1250 XP)]**

**[Race - Human]**

**[Occupation - The Gamer/Apprentice of Azazel]**

**[Title - Middle School Student: 10% gains towards Academics and Physical Activity below Level 9]**

**[Specialization: N/A]**

**[Health Points: 400 (Vit*25)]**

**[Health Point Regeneration: 32 HP/M (Vit*2)]**

**[Magic Points: 325 (Int*25)]**

**[Magic Point Regeneration: 26 MP/M (Int*2)]**

**[Stats]**

**[Strength: 4+4+3+2=13]**

**[Vitality: 4+3+4+2+3=16]**

**[Dexterity: 3+3+4+2+3=15]**

**[Intelligence: 2+4+4+3=13]**

**[Wisdom: 3+4+3=10]**

**[Luck: 4+2+4+8=18]**

**[Perks:]**

**[Sacred Gear - Boosted Gear: Allows for the doubling of all Stats every ten seconds. Current Boost limit: 2 Boosts]**

**[Novice Runner: Additional +1 to Dexterity and Vitality per Level]**

**[Apprentice Runner: Additional +2 to Dexterity and Vitality per Level]**

**[Minor Shinto Blessing: Additional +1 to Luck per Level]**

**[Growing Young Boy: Additional +3 to Strength, Vitality, and Dexterity per Birthday]**

**[Blessing of the Scapegoat: Additional +1 to Luck and Intelligence per Level]**

**[Status Effects:]**

**[None]**

**[Description:]**

**[Issei Hyoudou is a perfectly ordinary 12-year old boy. Born to Miki and Gorou Hyoudou in the middle of a powerful April thunderstorm, he was the third attempt to have a child by the young couple. The Shinto Gods heard their prayers and blessed the Hyoudou family with baby Issei. He is currently a middle school student at Kuoh Middle School, along with his two best friends Matsuda and Motohama. He is the wielder of ? and the current Gamer.]**

**[Money: 2600 Yen]**

**[Points: 16]**

It turned out, each level up for the young boy came with a guaranteed addition of one point to each of his stats, with six free points to allocate as he wished. At first, Issei had wanted to wanted to dump all of his stats into Strength, Vitality and Dexterity, being a rather stereotypical 13 year old boy. However, Azazel had swiftly dissuaded him of that notion, reasoning that he should save his points and spend them either as needed, or at least in large chunks when he knew what direction he wanted to go in. The Boosted Gear, according to the Game, only seemed to affect his physical three stats, and Azazel had recommended that he spend some of his free points in the areas that wouldn't be able to double on a whim. Issei, though grumbling the entire time, had agreed with said logic, and barely used up his gained stats, leaving 16 of the 24 free points unused. Another surprise, though certainly a welcome one, had come about three months ago.

The Trio had been running nearly nonstop for almost an entire day, and Azazel had decided that it would be a great idea to encourage them to hold out until dark. Said encouragement had come via stray bolts of weak lightning sent spiraling towards the Trio whenever they slowed down. They were in no danger, of course, but it stung, and the less said of its effect on their pride the better. Truly, Azazel could be a harsh taskmaster. After a certain point, Issei had felt himself almost collapse from exhaustion, before a second wind had hit, and all of a sudden everything involving running had seemed so much easier. Only after the fact, when the small group of four had settled back onto the train back to Kuoh had Issei realized that his Novice Runner perk had apparently leveled up to Novice, giving him an additional gain for his new levels. His birthday having passed had added another very much welcomed increase in his skills. The eight points Issei had spent from his previous four level-ups had been split evenly for three points each to his two weakest Stats, Wisdom and Intelligence, with the remaining two going to Strength.

Matsuda and Motohama had similarly gotten into much better shape, with Motohama taking to Human Magic like a fish to water. Issei and Matsuda struggled mightily with the math and higher thinking involved with said school of magic, barely having progressed beyond the basic mental and meditation exercises needed to learn any true spells. Issei still couldn't yet see their skills, his Observe level assumedly not being high enough yet, but he was sure that they were the most competent 13-year olds in Japan by this point.

After another hour of running and exercising in the mountains, the Trio had collapsed, tired beyond belief. Azazel took pity upon his poor charges, handing the teens bottles of water and snacks to munch down on while they made their way back to the train station. It took another two hours before the group was back in Kuoh, meeting as they always did in Scapegoat Games to go over the training they would undergo in the following days.

When they had arrived at Azazel's game store and locked the doors, the Fallen Angel turned to the Trio, suddenly very serious. His tone was even and measured, and the boys could see the steel in his eyes as he spoke.

"Issei, Matsuda, Motohama. You three have done very well. I am proud to say you have been good students, and have performed all the tasks I have asked of you admirably. However, what I am a part of, and what you three are rapidly entering the world of, is a very dangerous place to be. I've put off the answers I've promised you three for nearly a year now, not because I didn't think you deserved them, but because I was afraid you weren't yet ready. This isn't a game." At this Issei snorted, but Azazel pierced him with an intense glare, causing the young boy to shut up immediately. "It's not funny, Issei. This really isn't a game at all. This is a dangerous place, and I won't be sending unprepared children into it. You've all worked hard, but now I need to know if you're ready to take the plunge. If you want to know more about the Boosted Gear, as I'm sure Ddraig hasn't been talkative to you, then you'll need to prove to me that you're ready. You have this ability, the ID Create, no?"

Issei nodded, bringing it up on his screen. A year later and Azazel, Matsuda and Motohama were still the only one in his Party, though all it had given the Fallen was a view of his stats and his current financial holdings in the real world. Primarily, the lazy Grigori leader had just used it to check his bank account, having forgotten his password years ago, and to send Instant Messages to the trio gather for more training. As Issei pulled up the ID Create skill from thin air, plastering the thin blue screen in front of his two friends and his teacher, Azazel nodded.

"Yes, that's the one. What's the lowest level Instant Dungeon you have access to, Issei?"

After a moment of scrolling through his meager options, the young boy responded. "The weakest one is called the Zombie ID." At this, Azazel chuckled dryly, though mostly absent of any real humor.

"A Dungeon full of Zombies, how delightful." The man's sarcasm was as biting as ever; some things never changed, it seemed. "Well, it'll have to do. Alright, boys. Take the next hour to rest up. It's only 5PM, and you don't have to be home until 9, right?" The three boys nodded, having already cleared with their parents that they were at Scapegoat Games very regularly a year ago. At first, the three sets of parents had been a bit leery of letting their children spend that much time at a video game store, but the improvement in grades and physical performance that Azazel had drilled into the Trio had persuaded their parents easily enough.

"Good, good. Rest up, boys. In an hour, the three of you are going to enter the ID Create: Zombies. Motohama, you have a watch. Please set a timer. After two hours or at the first sign of any real danger, you **will **exit the Dungeon, am I understood?" His tone was extremely serious; this wouldn't be an easy thing by any stretch of the imagination. Regardless, the trio nodded and went off to separate couches, resting and waiting for their chance. If they did this right, Azazel would be finally taking them seriously.

**-One Hour Later-**

"Alright boys, are you ready? Everyone is rested up, and you all have your weapons, right?" The normally unflappable man was fretting over the Trio like a mother hen. If it weren't so annoying to the young teens, they would have likely found it a hilarious change of pace from Azazel's usual demeanor. Matsuda groaned, rubbing his bald head for the umpteenth time. "Yes, Azazel, we all have our stuff, you've only tested us like a million times already! We're ready to go as soon as you let us." He huffed.

Azazel simply smiled, though it was more of a sad smile than anything lighthearted. How many countless young Grigori agents had he seen with the same zeal, the same enthusiasm? How many of those same men and women had he buried? "It's the job of the old to worry for the young, Matsuda. I have faith in you all, but that will never stop me from worrying for your safety, after all. Regardless, it's time, and I won't fuss over you three any longer. Off you go now." And with that, Issei activated the ID Create: Zombies for the first time, the three boys stepping into the artificial world.

It was an eerie world, vaguely reminiscent of the streets of Kuoh, though the sky was an angry grey, the color of an approaching storm. The few street-lamps that still worked were flickering, and the streets were littered with trash. The houses around them all had boarded-up windows, with broken doors and shattered concrete surrounding them. All in all, it was an altogether unpleasant place to be. Issei scrunched up his nose, having smelled the stench of decay the moment they had stepped in.

"Ugh, that's disgusting." The young boy grimaced, facing his two friends who were just as disgusted. Regardless, they had come here for a fight, and they weren't leaving for another hundred and twenty minutes. Issei activated the Boosted Gear, the infamous red gauntlet appearing over his hand in a flash of light. He had trained sparingly with the Sacred Gear, truth be told; Azazel was convinced that it was more important to boost his skills naturally before boosting them artificially. Though Issei had grumbled and complained about this on numerous occasions, the boy knew that his mentor was right; increasing his stats via training would make them even higher when he Boosted, after all.

The first mobs the trio saw was a small conglomeration of zombies. They were disgusting creatures, with rotted flesh and exposed bone. They shambled rather slowly, and clearly they were rather unintelligent, but there was eight, meaning Issei and his friends were clearly outnumbered. Looking at one random zombie in particular, Issei whispered. "Observe."

**Zombie**

**Level: 1**

**HP: 150/150**

**HPM: N/A**

**MP: N/A**

**MPM: N/A**

**Description: A walking corpse, no matter how it died. It hates the living, attacking and eating its flesh. Although it's slow, its strength is twice as much as when it was alive.**

That wasn't too bad, they could clearly work with that. The Trio walked as quietly as possible, making their way behind a dumpster to continue their reconnaissance. The creatures were as slow as the description implied, shambling at a snail's pace across the street in search of prey. Thinking quickly, Issei made a plan. "Alright, Motohama, you're the best at magic, so we're going to use you as long-range. You see that building over there?" At this, Issei pointed to a tall brick structure a few blocks away. "That building looks exactly like Kuoh Middle School, and I bet it's got the same lay-out inside too. You remember the time we found that tunnel underneath the floorboards of the changing rooms?" All three of the Trio had rather perverse blushes on their face, recalling the glorious incident. Azazel had given them more than just physical conditioning after all; the man was a notorious lecher and it had rubbed off onto his students with concerning ease.

Regardless, Motohama nodded. "You want us to use the tunnel to trap them?" The bespectacled boy asked. Issei just nodded, pointing to himself and Matsuda. "That's right, Matsuda and I will lure them in the tunnel, then you use your magic to collapse it on top of them while we run out." It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was simple and easy to follow. With their impromptu strategic meeting over, the trio were off, Motohama slinking away in the alleys while Issei and Motohama made their way onto a main street.

Matsuda turned to his friend, the faint sunlight casting a sickly glow on his bald head. "We going for loud, Issei?" The brunette simply nodded, slamming his armored fist into his open hand. "Damn right Matsuda, we're going for loud." At this, the bald boy whooped, rushing forward as he activated Azazel's gift to him.

"Sacred Gear: Phantom Procellarum!"

In an instant, Matsuda had become as fast as lightning, racing towards the mob of zombies with the aid of Azazel's Artificial Sacred Gear. When the Fallen had first gifted it to him, Matsuda had been overjoyed, zipping around the mountaintops where they trained and reducing trees to splinters with enormously powerful kicks. Azazel had flown in approximately three seconds later and held the struggling bald teen upside down by his ankles and yelling at him to not damage the National Park. Nonetheless, Matsuda had trained with it near-constantly, augmenting his already impressive speed and forming the beginnings of a kick-based fighting style for combat.

The bald teen took off into a leap a few meters in front of the mob, reaching at least double his height in the air before he came crashing down with a sickening splat on top of a Zombie's head. As the mob reacted instantly, albeit slowly, to surround him, the boy was already on the move, taking to his hands to execute a handstand spinning kick that sent several zombies flying back. Issei wasn't far behind, rushing into the fray with the characteristic booming "Boost" that his Sacred Gear was famous for. He could hold one Boost for a rather long time, and it was more than enough to take down small-fry opponents like this.

**Critical Hit! 50 Damage!**

**25 Damage!**

**25 Damage!**

And on and on it went. Each Phantom Kick, as the boy had dubbed his attack, from Matsuda or Boosted punch from Issei dealt 25 damage. When Matsuda had landed on the first Zombie's head, it had triggered a critical hit, nearly destroying the creature from the neck up. The close-range duo were careful to not kill any of the Zombies quite yet, but reduced their numbers and made a loud enough racket that they could clearly see a few dozen more shambling towards their street battle. "Think that's enough?" Issei roared, gesturing towards his friend still in the thick of combat. Matsuda, for his part, simply jumped up again, leaping high into the air and coming down in a crouch next to Issei. "Yeah, that's probably enough. Let's get going!" He responded.

The two were off, running fast enough to avoid any damage but at a steady enough pace that the zombies, at least four dozen in number by now, were able to follow them easily. For five blocks they lead the mob on a merry chase, slowing down to wreak havoc on the group every once in a while. At this point, the horde of Zombies were mostly at two thirds health or lower, weakened but showing no signs of slowing down.

As the duo made their way to the grounds of the artificial Kuoh Middle School, they could see Matsuda waiting for them at the gate. A quick application of magic from him later, the gate was busted wide open, a beam of light blue energy having leapt from the bespectacled boy's hands and utterly vaporizing the rusty lock holding the gates shut. The Trio raced down the hallways, taking as many confusing twists and turns as possible to shake off the group. Once they had reached the cafeteria, the teens split off in their own directions, each one being familiar enough with the layout of their school to effectively corral the mob into the tunnel.

It took a few minutes, but the three young men managed to enter the electrical closet, busting down the flimsy door leading into the dark, cold maintenance tunnel that ran underneath the school. It had been primarily used to house wiring and emergency equipment from the pre-War era, but now it was as empty and abandoned as it was in the real world. The tunnel wasn't terribly long, perhaps 50 meters in length, but it was wide enough that at least seven or eight zombies could stand shoulder to shoulder. Furthermore, it was old, and the supports that held up the tunnel were sure to be weakened after nearly 70 years of neglect.

Once the thick tunnel had been filled with the slowly shambling monstrosities, Issei and Matsuda were off at a sprint again, racing down the dimly lit hall and up the short flight of stairs that would lead back up to the school grounds. Matsuda awaited them at the top of the stairs, standing just in front of the door that would lead them to safety. "You guys ready," the usually-timid boy asked. His two companions simply nodded, each readying their respective Sacred Gear.

Matsuda gathered his breath, stilling his body as he concentrated deeply on the Magic he was about to perform. As his whole body relaxed, Matsuda summoned a small magical circle at each of the several pillars holding up the tunnel. A moment later, the Trio could hear the dull grind of wood and metal beams tearing as Matsuda unleashed blasts of magical energy at the base of each pillar. The result was deafening, at least thirty meters of tunnel crashing down upon the zombies in a split second. The trio were sent flying back at the impact, the door behind them crumpling and bending as the ground seemed to swallow up the mob of zombies.

It took several minutes for the dust to clear, and for Issei to see clearly the message in front of him.

**[Zombies Slain!]**

**[Zombies Slain!]**

**[Zombies Slain!]**

**[Notice: Aggregate kills? Yes/No]**

Numbly, the boy pressed yes.

**[x42 Zombies Slain! 4200/3 = 1400 EXP gained!]**

**[User has Leveled Up! Level is now 6!]**

**[Beginner Martial Arts has Leveled Up! Beginner Martial Arts has Leveled Up! Beginner Martial Arts has Leveled Up! Beginner Martial Arts has Leveled Up! Beginner Martial Arts has Leveled Up! Beginner Martial Arts has Leveled Up! Beginner Martial Arts has Leveled Up! Level is now 10!]**

**[Beginner Martial Arts has Evolved! Novice Martial Arts is now Level 1!]**

**[Novice Martial Arts - Level 1: Having learned to punch and kick properly, you can now fight with some measure of finesse and strategy.]-**

**\- [Grants +5 Strength and Vitality during active combat.]**

They... They had done it! Though, of course, there were a few Zombies left to finish off. Quietly, the trio walked around the ruins of Kuoh Middle School, methodically punching, kicking, or blasting away the few remaining enemies. Once that had been finished, the three boys met together at the gates of the school, exhausted but exhilarated. Issei did his best to slow his breathing, his heart still pounding after the eventful two hours they had just had. "Alright guys, time to head back, yeah?" The boy asked.

His two companions nodded, and with a quick application of ID Escape, the Trio were back in Scapegoat Games, still coated in the grime and guts of nearly 50 undead abominations. Azazel scrunched his nose at them, executing a simple but effective spell at the three boys to clean them of the stench and offal of the dead mob enemies. "Well, boys, it surely looks like you did it. I suppose I owe you an explanation then. Come on into my office, this will be a rather long chat, I imagine." The tall Fallen turned and walked away, his three students following dutifully after him.

Once they were in Azazel's tastefully decorated but rather small office, having taken refuge in the comfort of the offered seats, the Grigori Leader steepled his fingers, leaning across his desk to stare at his three apprentices. He was quiet for a few minutes, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably long for the teens. Finally, he spoke.

"Well, it's all rather complicated really, but you see, a few thousand years ag-" Just then, Azazel's phone rang. The Trio had been taking lessons from the man for a year, Issei having visited the store much longer than that, but they had **never **heard Azazel's phone ring. Picking it up, the Fallen was silent as he listened for a few seconds, before he let out a bone-weary sigh and hung up. "Alright boys, it looks like we're going to have some guests stopping by. Just, uh... don't do anything stupid, okay kids?"

As soon as he spoke the words of warning, a sharp rap was heard upon his door. Sighing again, Azazel stood up from his chair and walked around the Trio, opening the door to reveal a small group. The woman at the head of the group was incredibly beautiful, with long black hair and a generous bosom barely hidden by a **very **risque leather get-up. Next to her was a small blonde girl, a taller woman that somehow had an even bigger bust, and a rather nondescript man in a trench coat and a fedora.

The black-haired woman stepped forward, bowing deeply before gazing adoringly at Azazel. "It's such an honor to be here, sir! Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, Mittelt, and of course I Raynare, are here to serve, Master Azazel!" The Grigori leader's only reaction was to sigh yet again, looking every one of the numerous hundred years old he undoubtedly was. Looking at the Trio, he gestured for them to stand. "Alright kids, I was planning to do this much, **much **later, but it turns out Father is still an asshole when my luck is concerned. Issei, Matsuda, Motohama, meet my lovely... subordinates."

Motohama just looked confused, Matsuda was blushing faintly at the petite blonde, and Issei? He walked forward, staring straight ahead at Raynare and intending to shake her hand. Given their height difference, this meant the 13 year old ended up walking up to her and staring at her right in the nipple. Azazel simply groaned at this, muttering something about "Of course he inherited that from my side of the family," before taking a seat and pouring himself a tall shot of scotch. This was going to be an epic cluster-fuck, wasn't it? Why didn't Shemhazai ever have to deal with this bullshit?

* * *

A/N: And that's that! As always, please read and review!

Last chapter I asked which girls you wanted to see in the harem. As always, please keep suggesting the ones you would like! Realistic scenarios would also be provided, it's hard to justify adding someone crazy OP like Serafall/Tiamat/Yasaka/etc given the power disparity this early on in the fic, but once Issei is able to punch into that class, then I'm sure he'll be going after people like that.

For this chapter's question, I would like to know: what do you guys think needs the most improvement in this story? What do you dislike the most? I'm a big kid so no need to sugarcoat anything, I'm genuinely interested in learning what areas I need to work on in my writing. Thanks so much!


	5. A Dream of Dragons: GOTY

Reboot is up. Please check it out! This story won't be removed or anything like that, but definitely check out the reboot instead! Won't be any new chapters here.


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